Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts related to Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders, specifically focusing on PTSD and its associated symptoms, risk factors, and treatment approaches.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

A disorder occurring after exposure to a traumatic event involving death, injury, or sexual violence.

Intrusive Symptoms

Symptoms that include recurrent intrusive involuntary memories of event, nightmares, flashbacks, and intense physiological distress at cues related to the trauma.

Persistent Avoidance

The effort to avoid distressing memories, thoughts, feelings, or any external reminders of the trauma ) e.g. people, places, activities.

Arousal Symptoms

Symptoms such as irritability, reckless behavior, hypervigilance, exaggerated startle response, and sleep/ concentration disturbances.

Epidemiology of PTSD

The study of prevalence rates, indicating that

7-9% of the general population experiences PTSD.

¨60-80% of trauma victims

¨30% of combat veterans

¨50-80% of sexual assault victims

¨Increased risk in women, younger people

¨Risk increases with “dose” of trauma, lack of social support, pre-existing psychiatric disorder

Cognitive Vulnerabilities

Tendencies like negative attributional style, rumination, overestimation of the intensity of the threat, Cognitive schemas about self, world and future and problem-focused coping that influence PTSD risk.

Neurological Vulnerabilities

Factors such as low cortisol levels, increased blood flow in left hippocampus, smaller hippocampus volume and amygdala activation that are associated with increased PTSD risk.

Peritraumatic Dissociation

A dissociative state that may alter one’s sense of self during a traumatic event.

Risk Factors for PTSD

Factors influencing the likelihood of developing PTSD, such as genetic predisposition, perceived threat and social support.

Experiential Avoidance

Avoidance of trauma-related experiences, thoughts, and feelings, often leading to maladaptive behaviors.

Multimodal Treatment Approach

A comprehensive treatment for PTSD that addresses biological predispositions, psychological, and social factors.

Acute Stress Disorder (ASD)

Caused by a traumatic event (same type of exposure as PTSD).
• Symptoms from 5 categories: intrusion, negative mood, dissociation, avoidance, arousal.
• Need 9 or more total symptoms.
• Lasts 3 days to 1 month after the trauma.
• Must cause real impairment in life.

“short term ptsd”

HPA axis deregulation + nYehuda et al

• PTSD = low cortisol + dysregulated HPA axis.
• DST Test: dexamethasone should suppress cortisol.
• In PTSD → cortisol hypersuppression (drops more than normal).
• Yehuda et al. (1995): Vietnam vets with PTSD showed stronger cortisol suppression than vets without PTSD.
• Indicates an overly sensitive stress-feedback system.
• PTSD also linked to hippocampal damage → worse stress regulation.